Sometimes Divorce Gets Ugly Even After Families Stick Together Through Thick And Thin

Approximately half of all marriages end in divorce, and all except the most cynical among us would admit that most of those marriages begin with the best of intentions.  The situations where one spouse ignored the warning signs before the marriage, such as their beloved’s expensive tastes or domineering mother, only to realize within a year that all the people who had warned them against going through with the marriage were right, are the exception rather than the rule.  Most people who get divorced have built a life together.  They have relocated together and raised children together with the help of each other’s parents; they have played with the hands they were dealt in terms of health and work opportunities.  In that case, dividing the marital property is even more difficult from a logistical standpoint as well as an emotional one, especially if you seek your spouse’s mean streak, which you never knew existed, after you file for divorce.  If your decades of family togetherness have turned into an ugly divorce, contact a Palm Beach County divorce lawyer.

Dad’s Meltdown Leaves Mom and Grandpa to Pick Up the Pieces

Gregory and Lisa relocated many times during their 28-year marriage, due in part to Lisa’s career as a commissioned officer in the Navy.  Everywhere they moved, they bought a family home, and when they moved again, the previous family home became a rental property.  By the time they divorced, they owned property in Florida, Tennessee, and Virginia.  Lisa often took the children with her to the places in the United States and abroad where the Navy stationed her, and whenever they were in Florida, Lisa’s parents helped her care for the children.  Gregory traveled with Lisa and the children when his work allowed, but sometimes he stayed behind because of his work commitments.

Lisa retired from the Navy several years before the divorce, at which point the Navy assigned her a disability rating of 80 percent.  Her health issues limited her employment opportunities, but she found a job in human resources.  When Lisa filed for divorce, Gregory emptied the couple’s joint bank accounts, which included money they had saved for their son’s college expenses.  Their son was living in Florida with his grandfather at the time.  Gregory refused to pay Lisa alimony and made a series of threats against her if she tried to claim it.  Lisa’s father helped with her expenses during the divorce.  At the trial, Lisa testified that, if she could not find a job that accommodated her medical needs, she would operate a horse boarding business on a property the couple owned in Tennessee.  The court eventually decided that the only enforceable way to distribute the couple’s property equitably was for Gregory to forfeit his share of Lisa’s retirement pension from the Navy.

Reach Out to Us Today for Help

A Boca Raton divorce lawyer can help you if your spouse shows a side of themselves you have never seen before when you announce that you want a divorce.  Contact Schwartz | White for help today.

Resource:

scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=6643197078100722257&q=divorce+lisa&hl=en&as_sdt=4,10&as_ylo=2011&as_yhi=2021